Bono has become the latest Irish public figure to endorse a Yes vote ahead of next week's marriage referendum.

The U2 frontman was speaking in Vancouver ahead of the launch of their Innocence & Experience world tour and revealed: "Think about it, trying to co-opt the word ‘marriage’ is like trying to co-opt the word 'love'.

"You can’t own it. Marriage is now an idea that transcends religion. It is owned by the people. They can decide. It is not a religious institution.

"As far as I know, Jesus wasn’t a married man and neither are most priests talking about it. It is not a religious idea.

"In my mind, commitment is one of the most impossibly great human traits", the Irish Times reports.

Bono - who has been married to Ali Hewson since 1982 - said the Church doesn't have ownership of marriage in Ireland.

"It is a hard thing to hold on to, and anything that brings that together is a totally wonderful thing.

"There was marriages before the Christian church. And indeed some of my favourite characters in the Bible had lots of marriages – at the same time. So, how did that work?

"It is a wonderful thing. If you believe, it is just a man and a woman – great, live it! But you have to know that more than 50pc of the population can’t.

"So anyone who can is defying the odds already. So here is what I have to say about it: wherever marriage occurs, it should be encouraged."